Author's Notes: Glad you're enjoying the fluff, Dragon. I am too!
And relationships are all about balance, right, Duckie? Think I said it eons ago, that I wanted to go the unexpected route with most of the loves in this series. :)
Look forward to learning more in every book, Feather. Because that's how I roll. :D
Now, enjoy a little more...fun. ;)

Disclaimer: TMNT belongs to Nick/Eastman/Laird. Nia Hamato/Anders and Melody Hamato/Gray belong to me. I'm in no way making any money. Thanks.

Chapter 04 - The Journey

Nia watched the large gum bubble blown by the Anthony's delivery girl. When it popped with a loud click through the silence, she sent the blonde a cheeky smile, inching closer to the register table in Second Time Around.

"You and Rosso eat a lot of pizzas when the occasion calls for it, Calza," the blonde remarked as she straightened her red and white cap.

"C—Calza?"

"Short for 'calzamaglia'."

"I…don't know—"

"Perbacco; I've been here five times since New Year's." The way her tone rose and fell briefly reminded Nia of a mobster movie. "You two can't possibly eat them all."

"W—w—we have a trip ahead of us, so we're preparing."

"To eat nothing but pizza for a week?"

"Pizza's popular."

Nia flashed another smile, though it was hard to maintain as the delivery girl's vision fell on the stack of fifteen pizzas on the registers desk. It stood taller than them both and the blonde didn't move until the clicks of April's boots descended from upstairs.

"Did you give her the money, N—Sarah?" the redhead questioned, heading for the pizzas.

Nia nodded stiffly once April stood beside her.

"Then I'm sorry to push you out, Miss—"

"Fischer," the blonde confirmed before blowing another bubble.

"Fischer. We must get ready for the journey."

Miss Fischer shrugged her shoulders hidden below the thick plush of her large company sweater. Then spun on a heel.

"You can keep the change," April remarked to her back.

"Thanks," the delivery girl replied as she opened the store's front door to reveal the nightlife beyond. "Good luck on your diets; that much cheese will stop up anyone."

When the door ringed shut, Nia faced April in time to catch the woman's blanch. "Still find her weird?" she asked with a brusque giggle.

"She's too curious for my liking," April countered grumpily. Snorting, she reached for the pizza stack, but in a second's flash it was gone.

"Dude, I think she speaks Spanish or Italian or something," Michelangelo about sung. He danced across the shop's wood floor, twirling with the pizzas, until Raphael appeared to steal them.

"An' how would ya know Italian?" the hothead spat while shouldering the stack of boxes like it was a breeze.

"Rosso means 'redhead'."

"An' ya would know that how?"

"Comics."

Raph shook his head then sent Nia a questioning glance across the room.

The young woman grinned softly, pulling up the collar of the turtleneck below her star-print sweater. "We both read Madam Vermillion. She used Italian, English, and Chinese phrases. So."

"Ha!" Mikey said into the straight-face of his red-masked brother.

"Alright, guys"—April interjected with a grin—"let's get away from the window before there's an incident. You said Donatello's here with Splinter now?"

"Yeah," Raph added, following the group to the store's side door that lead into an alley.

"Sensei didn't want all of us to stay behind," Mikey added. He took half of Raph's load as April turned off the lights and waited for the others to file into the biting weather outside.

"He—he's frustrated with how slow he's become," Nia noted.

As if to reiterate her words, Splinter's familiar curse drew all attention to the Battle Shell idling in the alley's darkest spot. The side door was open, a small step set before its knee-high threshold. Splinter hunched with one paw on the door's handle and the other on his walking stick. The gnarled piece of wood pointed inwards—towards its master's gut—like it had slipped against the wet rubber track and unbalanced the rat.

Donatello called out softly, except the hands he offered were swatted away. This was a matter of a master's pride. The only thing to stop such was…

"Gray-san!" Splinter cried in indignant offence.

Offence rarely bothered Melody, so the cyborg continued her plan. She picked up the mutant rat the remainder of the way, her hands beneath the pits of his kimono, and she placed him inside the vehicle like a child too short to reach something. Splinter huffed when she backed away, probably glaring from the space Nia couldn't see. But that also didn't bother Melody. She maintained a listless face, nodding towards Don, who spoke.

"I'll go see if—oh, hey, guys." Donny grinned and met the group to retrieve a few pizza boxes from Mikey's arms. "Ready?"

"Yeah," the youngest replied—a sorrowful action. "Is Sensei—"

The genius leaned forward, whispering, "Don't fuss. He's in a mood. Let's just try to make this journey as pleasurable as possible."

"Fine."

"So, which pizza is yers an' April's, Nia?" Raphael's question drew serious scrutiny to the cardboard stacks, which all three brothers sniffed like dogs.

April clicked her tongue. "Whichever weird one is half pepperoni and half whatever the heck Nia ordered."

"It's not that weird," Nia countered while taking the top pizza from Raph's stack. He had to bend down for her and she almost let it slip before her grip steadied. But it smelled delicious.

"What is it?" her boyfriend questioned.

"Bacon ranch with spinach and mushrooms."

"Yeah, that's weird, Nia," Mikey added over Raph's strange look.

She playfully stuck her tongue out at them both, clenching the warm pizza box she knew was right.

"Alright, let's get going before the freezing rain comes," Donny said when Raph chuckled.

Mikey graced the human with a smile before heading for the Battle Shell, arms filled with pizza boxes, and Raph soon followed with his own load after giving Nia's cheek a quick peck. She watched each of their bulky forms disappear into the van then stiffened when a robotic hand turned her shoulder.

"Oh! M—Melody. You scared me."

"Take these," the tall blonde said, authoritive. Her cold hand captured Nia's, forced her palm upright, and then placed two white pills in it.

"Wh—what is it?"

"Take them."

"But what are they?"

Melody groaned, pinching the bridge of her long, hooked nose.

"She has a right to know what they are, Gray," April spat from behind. She came to a stop beside Nia, stealing the pills for closer inspection.

"It is Ondansetron," the cyborg remarked coolly.

"Zofran? What for? You feeling sick, Nia?"

At the redhead's inquisitive gaze, Nia laughed half-heartedly. "N—no, no. I'm not. Why would I?"

"Nia," Melody interjected like a stern doctor, "you should not leave out symptoms. It could lead to further complications for you both."

"H—how did you—"

"Raphael worries. Now, make sure you take those with food. And plenty of water. When we reach the Farmhouse I will evaluate you." Melody ended the conversation without a parting and left Nia and April in a short yet thick silence.

"What is she talking about?" April questioned uneasily.

"I—I'll explain later. Uh, come on. We're supposed the lead the way, right?" Nia's smile was far from convincing, she knew. But the older woman nodded anyway, only pausing to lock the store's side door before the two exited the alley.

"I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much," April commented from the driver's side of her Subaru Forester.

"Huh?" Nia asked innocently in the passenger seat. She licked her greasy fingers one last time then wiped them with a napkin that she soon tossed on the empty half of the open pizza box.

"We just opened that fifteen minutes ago."

"I was hungry. Besides, M—Melody said I needed food with the pills."

"Sure." April's curtness caused Nia to frown at her stern profile when the woman continued. "I can't believe she's made it this long with the guys."

"She's been working really hard with school and Splinter-san," the artist remarked with controlled words. A strange sense of defensiveness heated her inside and only the grip in her lap kept it from overflowing into her tone. "It's hard to find alternative treatments that keep Splinter-san off radiation and…all of us aren't ready for the risk of surgery yet. Wh—why do you still treat her like she shouldn't be with us?"

"Because she shouldn't," retorted April quickly, tartly. She then changed lanes to pass an old Pontiac Grand AM that thought fifty was the new seventy. Once she glanced in the mirror to ensure the Battle Shell followed, she sped up. "That witch subjected Leo to experimentation. Now he's gone. If she got mad enough, who's to say she won't hurt another brother?"

"April!" Nia was surprised at how sharp her reprimand left her. And even more surprised at the cool sidelong glance the redhead gave as she returned the Forester to the right lane. "Melody's done good too; she hasn't only hurt people," the young woman added, softer yet with clenched teeth. "Sh—she's sorry for what she's done to Leo."

"Really? I haven't heard an apology for such."

"Mikey has. So have Raph and I."

"Guess you guys are special."

"April"—Nia closed the pizza box so she could turn in her seat after loosening the seatbelt—"Melody hasn't apologized because she feels it would be lost on you."

"Are you the cyborg whisperer now?" April questioned, unwilling to tear her gaze off night traffic.

Her snap turned aside the shorter female's vision. "I've had a few things about me come to light since December—some of them because of her," Nia said as her fingers traced an indented line of flesh across her forearm. "Being around her is a learning experience. She really does care. She just isn't good at showing it."

"And that's supposed to make it okay?"

"No. B—but shouldn't you give her more reason to approach you with an apology?"

"I don't really want one."

Nia gawked at April sudden scowl. "What?"

"Let's not talk about this anymore, okay? I already fight about it with Donny. I don't want to fight you too."

"But—"

"You won't change my mind. So drop it."

The dark contempt in the redhead's tone was enough to chill Nia. It wasn't a simple matter of dislike or jealousy or even fear—it was a genuine cocktail of mistrust and loathing. The emotions struck Nia's brain like thorns, so a change of subject would be welcomed. Even if she found April's deep-rooted hate heartbreaking.

"How have your commissions been?" the woman asked, tense.

"B—back and forth," Nia answered through the dying pain. "My work at Baker's called attention to other places that are looking for murals, like Flemming. A—and a few people want me to draw portraits for them."

"Well, that's nice."

"It's been slow because…some days I don't feel well enough to paint."

"So you are sick."

The artist met April's narrowed eyes with a light smile. "It's just some fatigue problems, that's all. My energy's been off-balanced recently."

"Why?"

"Dealing with Splinter is stressful."

It wasn't a full lie, but an emission. If April knew the whole story, it wouldn't help the negative view she held on Melody. So, Nia bit down the troubles of becoming a lab rat once more and strengthened her smile until she almost believed it herself.

"You shouldn't worry yourself too much," April said after a passing of silence.

"Raph says the same thing," replied Nia with a weak laugh. Really, memories of the hothead's pained face during her tests stabbed her chest.

"Crazy. He seems closer to you than before I left."

"Huh?"

Passing another slow car, April added, "You and Raph. He seems…more in tune with you? I—I don't know. He's more aware. That's for sure. And his looks are deeper."

Jealousy. Nia knew the emotion signature well from past incidents with Mikey. Her grin died the lower April's voice grew, until the artist frowned.

"Still can't believe you forgave him." It seemed like the woman was musing more to herself, though the tinges of disbelief were directed towards her passenger.

"You know my reason for that," said Nia softly. "The want outweighed the anger…"

April sighed then gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Still no contact from Mister Casey, huh?"

"Like you, I refuse to go to him. My month vacation was supposed to rid my mind of him, but all it did was remind me of how much I miss the ass. Then, I get pissed at myself for caring. If he won't marry me, then I should find someone who will!"

The cringe of screeching tires as April's Forester dodged a Honda brought Nia's fingers to the sides of her seat. Once the vehicle straightened out in the left lane to keep away from other drivers, the artist drew a breath, saying, "A—are you going to start dating?"

"Maybe," the redhead grumbled.

"R—really?"

"I don't know. I probably won't go looking, but if something comes up…I'll give it a chance."

"And what if Casey-san contacts you?"

"Hard to say. I don't want to be a girlfriend forever."

"Least you have a choice." Nia sighed when the thought suddenly hit her, gaze falling to the pizza box in her lap.

"You're pretty young to want to be a wife, Nia," remarked April in surprise and confusion.

"I—I'm just saying; it would be nice to be a bride."

"Who says you can't be?"

"I'm not leaving Raph."

Perhaps the utter assurance of Nia's tone is what struck the driver because she turned her attention off the road for longer than the legal limit. "The guys find ways for everything. Whether through the clan, privately, maybe even legally in the States one day—I'm sure he could find a way to marry you, Nia. When you reach that point."

The idea upturned the pizza in Nia, yet she smiled at the wave of excitement that sent tingles through her limbs. Imagine, her dressed in all white with Raphael waiting at an alter. Or surrounded by the clan as Splinter and Leo gave their blessings for her and Raph's union. Or even Raph, alone, stumbling through vows he would be worse at repeating in public. Unshed tears formed as she imagined his proposal and she was thankful for the settling silence while April sorted through her own thoughts.

The artist contained the giddiness somehow, leaning against the door to look at the Battle Shell in the side mirror. Then, realization hit her with frightening speed. No matter what the future held, Nia knew she wanted to stand by the Hamatos—as an ally, a friend, a sister. And, yes, a wife.